It’s Monday, September 27th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:
1) Crisis In Del Rio Continues
The Topline: The Biden administration continues to face heavy criticism over the surge of Haitian migrants at the southern border, and over where they will end up.
“The only thing [the Biden administration has] shown is an incapability of dealing with this crisis, candidly, in a way where they pretend it doesn’t even exist. And we’re here to tell you, it exists, it is total chaos, and the Biden administration – they need to up their game big time.”
– Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R)
Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Contributor/Getty Images
Haitian Migration
Following a viral social media post reportedly claiming that the U.S. border was open in the region, thousands of Haitain migrants flooded the area near Del Rio, Texas.
The Biden administration was caught off-guard by the surge at the border, forcing Texas Governor Greg Abbott to take matters into his own hands, and leading to a strong rebuke from the governor over the administration’s failure to act.
“Whips”
The battle between the Biden administration and Governor Abbott continued following the release of photos that many in the media erroneously claimed showed Border Patrol agents “whipping” illegal Haitian migrants.
While President Biden promised that the Border Patrol agents depicted in the photos would face “consequences,” Governor Abbott responded by reassuring the agents that they would remain employed in the state of Texas.
Psaki On Defense
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has also faced pressure regarding the ongoing crisis at the border.
On Friday, when Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Psaki why the president hadn’t visited the border in-person, the press secretary claimed that such a trip wouldn’t be “constructive.”
Psaki then criticized Republicans for “giving speeches” about the border while allegedly failing to offer “solutions,” further claiming that “this problem … has not been partisan in the past.”
D-Keine/Getty Images
2) Record Murder Increase
The Topline: According to the FBI, 2020 saw the largest spike in murders since record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.
2020 Spike
There were approximately 21,500 murders in the U.S. in 2020, reports the FBI, which is 5,000 more than the year before – a 29% leap. This staggering rise in murders is more than twice the previous year-over-year record increase of 12%.
Trends
The spike in murders was not relegated to big cities, with every single region in the country seeing at least a 20% increase. Mid-size cities with populations between 100k and 250k saw the highest increase at 40%.
Why?
While there are multiple theories as to why 2020 experienced such an upward surge in murders, many argue that unemployment played at least some role.
Some on the Left believe that the increase in first-time gun purchases combined with lockdown stress was a factor. Many on the Right disagree, claiming that new firearm purchases were a response to increased crime; they argue that the biggest factor in the murder wave was the “Defund the Police” movement.
According to the data, while murder rates increased across the board, they were even higher in many cities that pulled funding from police departments, such as in Austin, Texas, which not only slashed police funding, but saw a 55% increase in murders in 2020.
New York City cut $1 billion from their police budget, and saw an almost 40% increase in murders in 2020. Similarly, Portland, Oregon, cut police funding and saw a 52% surge in murders.
ANGELA WEISS/Contributor/AFP/Getty Images
3) Washington Police
The Topline: The ninth annual Global Citizen Concert, one of the largest music festivals of its kind, took place in multiple major cities across the world over the weekend.
Non-Specific Aims
The Global Citizen concert has faced criticism for its vague platform, with its website stating that the organization’s goals are, in part, to “defeat poverty,” “end the pandemic,” advance “equity for all,” and “defend the planet.”
Portions of the site are dedicated to reading racially diverse books, planting trees, and distributing COVID vaccines.
Celebrity Draw
Big names, from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, made appearances to discuss issues like pharmaceutical companies waiving IP rights and sharing vaccine information with poor nations, as well as climate change.
The concerts are free, and put on to raise awareness, with the apparent strategy being that large turnout will show business leaders that people want “bold action” taken on the issues raised.
No Money?
While similar concerts have raised awareness of certain issues in the past, such as Farm Aid and Live Aid, they also raised funds. The Global Citizen concert lacked the fundraising aspect, and didn’t seem to put forward a coherent message that a casual observer would care for.
Britta Pedersen/picture alliance/Contributor/Getty Images
+++
Other Stories We’re Tracking
Afghanistan
The Taliban has returned to its gruesome tactic of publicly displaying the bodies of dead citizens. In the city of Herat on Saturday, the Taliban brought the bodies of four alleged criminals to a central square, then hung one of the bodies from a crane. The other three were moved to different parts of the city for public display.
Leadership In Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union is projected to lose control of the government to the left-wing Social Democratic Party as a result of Sunday’s national election. Olaf Scholz is expected to be Germany’s next Chancellor.
Pennsylvania Plot
Four Pennsylvania teenagers have been charged with plotting an attack on a high school outside of Scranton in 2024, on the 25th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. Those charged include a 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, as well as two unnamed teens. According to the girl’s mother, the female teen was “obsessed with Columbine.”